Page 105 of The Runaway and the Rugged
Griffin, Beau, and with reluctance from them, Greta and Clarke, yanked Nathaniel to his feet.
“Stay with them.” He nudged me in the direction of all the women who were watching it all unfold before their eyes. Winnie pulled me in close to her.
With eyes ablaze as if ready to face anything, he strode purposely in the direction of Nathaniel. Just before he reached him, he halted, stopping just shy where they were not eye to eye.
“I want my ring back,” Nathaniel sneered, his eyes coming to me, but Garth shifted his body, making sure Nathaniel had no way of looking at me.
“You ain’t lookin’ at her, you ain't speakin’ to her anymore, got me? You’re lucky I’m lettin’ you breathe the same as her right now,” Garth seethed, his voice low. “You’ll get the ring, the dress, anything she has that you bought, then you’re leaving and never comin’ back here. She ain’t yours, and never will be again. Andif I ever catch you on my property, I won’t hesitate to fuckin’ kill you.”
His threat should have terrified me, but it had the opposite effect. This man would protect me till the ends of the earth. He’d protect his family and all those he loved because that’s who he was.
Our savior.
“You hear that, bitch? He said he’d kill me. You picked a keeper, didn’t you?” Before he had a chance to finish, Garth was driving his fist into Nathaniel’s face, hard and unyielding.
Blood spattered onto the wood deck as he groaned with his head hung low in defeat.
“What did I say? Don’t fuckin’ speak to her, never again.” Garth flexed his hand and motioned with his head for Beau and Griffin to get him out of here.
“Try that stupid shit again, and Griff here’s got a hundred and one ways to tie up a man with rope, and I doubt he’d hesitate to test one of ’em out on you.” Beau grinned wide where all Griffin seemed to respond with was a grunt.
Griffin gave him a hard shove, forcing a grunt as he staggered down the steps and toward the front of the house where his car was parked. When he was finally out of sight, a massive amount of relief filled me as though I could finally breathe again.
It was only a matter of seconds until I was enveloped once again in comforting, familiar arms.
“Fuck,” he rasped, letting out a long, trembling sigh of relief onto the crown of my head. “I’m sorry you had to see all that.”
Shaking my head, I dug my fingers into the fabric of his shirt, pulling him in close.
“I don’t care, I love you,” I confessed, a cascade of tears falling down. “I love you so much, Garth, more than you’ll ever know.”
He drew himself back with a fierceness in his gaze I’d never seen before.
“You love me?” he stammered in shock, all the while his eyes searched mine as if trying to read my soul.
“So much.”
He groaned in satisfaction and pressed his lips to my forehead, then onto my lips. “I love you, Outlaw, with everythin’ I am and everythin’ I have.”
He kissed me. Hard, firm, and with so much passion, I nearly melted into his hold. He withdrew quicker than I would have liked, but only because everyone was watching us with broad, amused smiles.
“Didn’t I tell you he was going to fall madly in love with you?” Clarke teased. “Now the real question is, how many little ranch wranglers do you think he’s planning on havin’ with you?”
Oh my god, kill me now.
My ex just showed up unannounced, and here Clarke was bringing up Garth and me having kids. Why was I not surprised in the slightest?
Burying my face into his shirt to hide my embarrassment, Garth encircled his arm around me as a low rumble of laughter spilled from his mouth.
“As many as she wants,” he confessed. “Whenever she’s ready, of course.”
My heart fluctuated as I peered up into his handsome face.
“Really?” I questioned softly as the thought of having his child one day softly settled within me and a feeling of hope and wonder began to blossom.
“Really, Outlaw.” He grinned.
I smiled and swept my gaze over to Clarke again. “When did you get here anyway?” I questioned. “You didn't tell me you were visiting.”
